


The Performer and the Pirate

by WyattShepard



Series: Dungeons and Dragons [5]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 15:18:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13056651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WyattShepard/pseuds/WyattShepard





	The Performer and the Pirate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Carlee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carlee/gifts).



_He keeps swimming through the cold, dark water. Even after his arms are numb from it, he keeps swimming, urged on by the sight of his captain covered in blood burned into his mind’s eye. When he feels like he can’t swim anymore he is dragged below the surface, despite his scrambling attempts to prevent it. Down he sinks, further and further until he can’t see anything anymore._

Jones nearly bolts from the bed in his blind panic, a cold sweat coating what feels like his whole upper body. He takes note of the dark room, the only light pouring from under the door.

            _That’s right, we stopped at an inn_ , the pirate thinks to himself. He then looks over at the other bed and is surprised to find it empty. He ran a hand through his long black hair, wondering where his companion Nikos was.

            _Where did the lad get off to at this hour,_ he thought as he got out of bed and made for the door.

            It took a bit of exploring but he eventually found Nikos downstairs performing in front of a rather large crowd of people. The pirate made his way down the steps and into the crowd. Nikos was singing a ballad in aquan, but since he and Jones were the only merfolk there he doubted anyone else could understand any of the words. As Nikos finished his performance the crowd all gave him a round of applause. He was grinning ear to ear as he looked over them all.

            _Well I’ll be… this lad can charm anything,_ he thought as they all continued to clap around him. It was then that Nikos noticed him in the crowd, his grin falling from his face. He thanked everyone who had been there to watch him and once they all began to thin out he walked over to where Jones was waiting.

            “I didn’t wake you with my singing, did I?” Jones scoffed at him and pushed off the bar that he had been leaning on. He then took a seat and patted the stool next to him, and waited for Nikos to sit.

            “Nah lad it wasn’t you. Just a bad dream,” he responded as the younger man plopped down on the stool. The pirate ordered a drink and poured himself a shot when the bartender brought a bottle over to the pair.

            “That’s good, I hear old people have a hard time getting to sleep,” Nikos commented eyeing the bottle with disdain. Jones grunted in response and downed the shot.

            “One day that tongue of yers is gonna get you killed, lad,” he said, pouring another shot as he tried to keep the smile from his lips.

            “It only matters if I don’t get away,” the performer responded, which earned another grunt from Jones. He poured another shot and slid it to Nikos, who looked at him questioningly.

            “What? It’s rum,” he responded. Nikos shook his head.

            “Rum’s good,” Jones said evenly as took his shot and then the one he had offered to Nikos.

            “Oi, fish people,” called out a slurred voice behind them.

            They both turned around and found a burly man flanked by two other men. They looked like mercenaries to Jones but he hadn’t seen them before. He did notice that Nikos went slightly pale.

            “You are the one who cheated us out of our coin aren’t you,” the middle one said, pointing at Nikos. Jones rolled his eyes and poured himself another shot.

            “Ye he is, from a couple nights back. I remember that scaly face,” the one on the left said, spitting at Nikos’ feet. The performer laughed nervously in response, causing Jones to swear in aquan under his breath. He took his shot and set the shot glass upside down onto the bar.

            “Gentlemen surely we can settle this like civilized people, eh? Tell me, what makes ye so sure that the lad did it, perhaps you’re mistaken,” Jones reasoned as he stood to face them. It now was made apparent that all three were about a head taller than Jones. The middle one shook his head.

            “Who are you talkin’ to sardine? We has business with the boy, not you,” he said to Jones, the other two snickering in the background. The pirate locked eyes with the man in the middle and decided he was the leader. After several seconds Jones shrugged and turned to grab the bottle from the bar. Nikos almost choked on the breath he had been holding. He couldn’t believe that Jones was going to just let this happen. His eyes darted around the room as he took mental note of all the ways he could escape these men.

            “We’ll get our money’s worth little fish,” the leader said, turning to Nikos with a wicked grin. The performer was about to make a break for it as a bottle was smashed over the leader’s head.

            “Ye will be getting’ nothing from us, ye flea-ridden blaggards,” Jones said as he took his last shot. He stood with the shattered bottle pointed to them like a knife.

            The man on the left lunged at Jones but the pirate side-stepped him and the man went crashing into the bar. The leader had recovered and threw a punch that caught Jones in the jaw.

            “Hehe now it’s a fight,” He chuckled as he rubbed his jaw.

            Nikos wasn’t sure what was even going on anymore as the other man had made a grab for him. He was able to jump to the side in time but his attacker didn’t give him any breathing room. Nikos was knocked to the ground as something heavy tackled him. The man looked down at the performer expecting to see fear; he did not see fear. Nikos muttered something under his breath and they both felt the small vibration of power. His eyes flared silver for a moment and three small darts materialized above them and sunk themselves into the man’s back. He howled out in pain and leapt off Nikos, giving him enough time to scramble to his feet. It was then that he heard the sound of metal hissing against metal. He turned to see Jones holding the tip of his cutlass to the leader’s neck, and had his flintlock pistol leveled on the other man behind him.

            “Tell me, lad,” he paused long enough to hear the other man swallow, “is this worth dying for?”

            Nikos held his breath and watched as the leader shuffled until the door was to his back and then slowly backed away. All three men made their way out of the inn the frustration evident on their faces.

            “I didn’t think so,” The pirate muttered as he sheathed his cutlass. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there with his mouth hanging open, but eventually Jones clapped him on the back.

            “One hell of a fight though, ey lad,” He said, howling with laughter. Nikos laughed along with him, but more to calm his nerves.

            “Shame though about the rum,” Jones commented, glancing at his makeshift-shiv when he reined in his laughter. It was Nikos’ turn to scoff then, as he signaled the bartender who was hiding underneath the bar. Jones raised an eyebrow as his companion slid a fresh bottle of rum he had purchased over to him.

            “Here. Thanks for that,” The performer mumbled. The pirate ruffled his hair as he took the bottle and poured another two shots, offering one to Nikos. The younger man was about to protest, but shrugged instead and clinked his glass against Jones’. The boy cringed horribly as the rum turned out to taste as bad as he had thought. He just managed to force it down without gagging. Jones let out a content sigh after finishing his shot and nodded.

            “Aye rum’s good,” he said before standing and making his way back towards their room with the rum in hand.


End file.
